(a) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a bumper pad and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a bumper pad used for mounting inside an infant crib to protect babies, infants, and small children when using the crib.
(b) Discussion of Prior Art
Heretofore there have been a variety of different types of bumper pads designed to prevent the bumping of an infant against hard wooden or metal rails and slats that help form a crib. The bumper pads have been generally held by strings or ties secured to the vertical slats, side rails and head and footboards of the crib. The ties are not satisfactory because they can easily be loosened by the infant and the pad removed from the crib. Also, the ties can be pulled free from the pad with the ties becoming play things for the child to stick in his or her mouth running a risk of possibly choking the infant. Further ties, by virtue of being in sight of the child, entice the child to play with the ties and digits, i.e. toes and fingers, can become entangled endangering the safety of the infant. Still further, when and if the child tears off the ties, the padding material therein will quite often come free from the bumper pad making the pad unsightly and causing the pad to be replaced.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,670,923 to Gabriel et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,619,824 to Doyle and U.S. Pat. No. 3,241,158 to Berl different types of crib bumpers, crib liners and transparent bumper pads are shown. None of these prior art patents disclose the unique structure and advantages of the subject invention as described herein when addressing the above mentioned problem of the use of bumper pad ties and their attraction to playful children